TBC
Do some armchair activism (prison farms)
Tue, 2016-07-12 15:19
#1
Do some armchair activism (prison farms)
Tue, 2016-07-12 15:19
#2
http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/consult/index-en.shtml
You are invited to participate in an online consultation that is being conducted by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). We are seeking the public’s input as part of a feasibility study on re-establishing agriculture and agri-food operations that would include offender employment initiatives at the former penitentiary farm locations of Collins Bay Institution and Joyceville Institution, located in the greater Kingston area.
Tue, 2016-07-12 16:18
#3
ikosmos
Forced labour? Why not? But they should start with the entire managerial staff of Corrections Canada. Set an example of leadership and all that. Maybe add the managerial staff at Canada Post. They don't seem to be all that useful in their current role.
Tue, 2016-07-12 16:44
#4
"Forced labour?" Geez, ikosmos, - you've really got to stop watching those old reruns of Cool Hand Luke.
And if you really want to be a friend of the imprisoned, read up on the Kingston Prison Farm project, and why the cut of this program by the Harper Gov't was considered a huge loss by all concerned: the cons, (the Cons not so much), the community, local farmers, John Howard Society, food security advocates, and beyond.
http://projectsoil.ca/project-overview/case-studies/frontenac-and-pittsb...
Tue, 2016-07-12 16:44
#5
Double post
Tue, 2016-07-12 16:55
#6
ikosmos
There is documentary evidence that the US is already using forced prison labour (in California). So the concern is entirely legit, seeing as the current Canadian regime, and its predecessor, is so anxious to ingratiate itself to that regime.
I see the JH Society is in your list. Who speaks for the prisoners?
Tue, 2016-07-12 16:59
#7
Forced labour? Why not? But they should start with the entire managerial staff of Corrections Canada. Set an example of leadership and all that. Maybe add the managerial staff at Canada Post. They don't seem to be all that useful in their current role.
I figured that with ikosmos' love of everything Russian/Soviet that he would support "Force Labour Camps" in Canada.
Tue, 2016-07-12 17:07
#8
ikosmos
I figured that with ikosmos' love of everything Russian/Soviet that he would support "Force Labour Camps" in Canada.
Just for managment.
Tue, 2016-07-12 20:25
#9
It looks like this was a once-popular program, providing work skills and good food, and summarily axed by Harper.
And within one post it's characterized as a slave labour scheme to line the pockets of the Capitalist.
Only at babble. SMH.
Tue, 2016-07-12 20:28
#10
This is Canada not the States. While there may be many things that are the same it cannot be asumed that everything is the same.
I thought everyone here would already know about this.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/reopening-prison-farms-considered...
Pat Kincaid credits the dairy cows on a now-shuttered prison farm in Ontario with teaching him the skills he needed to break a life-long cycle of crime and incarceration.
The 65-year-old Kingston, Ont., resident, who has spent a total of 35 years behind bars for assaults, thefts and other property crimes, hopes other inmates get the chance to benefit from a program the federal Liberal government is now considering reopening.
"There's not a program in jail, even today, that can teach those skills that the cows have taught me by working with them," said Kincaid, who's been out of prison for seven years.
"The cows taught me patience and how to control my anger, and how to deal with being upset...I know it helped other inmates too.".....
A group of farmers and others protesting the closures banded together and bought some of the prison farm cattle auctioned off by the federal government. The cows, and the calves they've since borne, are now hosted at farms in the area.
"We're eager to have them taken back to prison and start the herd back up again," said Jeff Peters, chairman of the Pen Farm Herd Co-op. "The animals are what they call bred for docility, they're friendly, they won't kick you. And that's what the inmates needed."
In addition to helping the inmates develop a good work ethic, the farms produced food that was used to feed the prison population as well as supply local food banks, and also helped the local economy as it generated the need for fertilizer, equipment and other supplies, said Peters.
"It was a real economic engine for the farm community," he said. "There's so many reasons why the farms were a good idea."
This was not a system like in the states. The prisoners wanted to work there. It was not something anyone was forced to do.
Harper closed them because they were not turning a profit.
Wed, 2016-07-13 03:10
#11
ikosmos
Harper closed them because they were not turning a profit.
I looked up some NFU and CUSJ articles and found the following ...
The Federal Government decided during its last term to close the six prison farms in Canada. It said they were not training inmates for anything useful and were a waste of money. CUSJ supported a strong campaign to stop the closure of the farms and the loss of a valuable dairy herd. In spite of many lobbying efforts and a final desperate campaign of civil disobedience, the closures went ahead. In a final effort to stop them we asked parliament to pass a moratorium.
Looks like the Feds, under Harper, were wrong on both counts.
I don't think it's misguided to be concerned about the well-being of prisoners but the (anecdotal) evidence looks pretty good for the prison farms.
Wed, 2016-07-13 08:11
#12
alan smithee
If the Harperites closed it,then it must be a good program.
Thu, 2016-07-14 22:50
#13
Harper closed them because they were not turning a profit.I looked up some NFU and CUSJ articles and found the following ...
The Federal Government decided during its last term to close the six prison farms in Canada. It said they were not training inmates for anything useful and were a waste of money. CUSJ supported a strong campaign to stop the closure of the farms and the loss of a valuable dairy herd. In spite of many lobbying efforts and a final desperate campaign of civil disobedience, the closures went ahead. In a final effort to stop them we asked parliament to pass a moratorium.Looks like the Feds, under Harper, were wrong on both counts.
I don't think it's misguided to be concerned about the well-being of prisoners but the (anecdotal) evidence looks pretty good for the prison farms.
Agreed on both counts. Our system is better than the states but that isn't saying much.
Fri, 2016-07-15 00:27
#14
ikosmos
Agreed on both counts. Our system is better than the states but that isn't saying much.
One of the articles I read noted that some of the critics of the closures (under Harper) felt that the closures were a precursor to a deeper privatization of the prisons in Canada. The Conservatives certainly made some noise about that.
With the enormous, "world class", prison population in the US, there are rich opportunities for $$$$. That's one more thing we don't need to imitate.
Fri, 2016-07-15 01:20
#15
I would suggest first thing to do start using cash. Bribe the inmates.
The majority of inmates are poor, poorly eduacated, and many have serious health/drug problems. Lets deal with those issues first.
Start paying inmates to finish highschool, and if you beat your drugs problem money for you.
Fri, 2016-07-15 09:54
#16
There is hope that the programme at Dorchester Penitentiary eill be re-started.